Therian Prisoner Read online

  “Where were you born? When did you come to America?” They seemed like the next logical questions.

  “I was born in Roman-occupied Britain. My people were called the Brigantes. I immigrated to America in 1823. The silver boom drew me to Colorado and I’ve been here ever since.” He rattled off the facts like an itinerary. “Is this really what you want to talk about?”

  Tension pulsed between them and she swallowed hard. “You’ve never been interested in what I want.” The desire smoldering in his eyes was unmistakable. She’d dreamed of the moment when Ian would realize she was a woman, pictured it a thousand times in her fantasies. So why was she so uncertain, so confused?

  He uncrossed his legs and pulled her toward him, bringing her up onto her knees. “Say it, Devon. Tell me what you want.”

  “I… You know I…” Heat cascaded from the crown of her head to the pit of her stomach, stirring all sorts of sensations in between.

  He leaned in and inhaled her scent then eased back and looked into her eyes. “When little girls look at grown men like this, they get themselves into trouble.”

  “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

  “I noticed.” His hand slid up her neck and he pushed his fingers into her hair. “So the next question is, are you finally ready for me?”

  Before she could answer, his mouth covered hers and he wrapped his arm around her waist. It took a moment for her startled mind to comprehend that Ian was kissing her. She’d wanted this for so long that her brain refused to accept the sensations.

  “Relax.” He whispered the word against her mouth, his lips gently brushing hers.

  She slowly raised her hands to his shoulders, shocked by the heat radiating through his t-shirt. His shoulders were wide, his arms corded with muscle. Like a sugar addict in a candy store, she ran her hands over his arms and chest, his shoulders and back. He felt so good, so strong, so…male.

  Her body responded with heat and liquid urgency. She pushed one hand into his hair, sifting the wavy strands through her fingers. Her nipples beaded and sensitized. Her t-shirt felt abrasive against her tender skin.

  All the while his lips moved over and against hers, caressing more than kissing. His patience made her restless and she rubbed her breasts against his chest. With a soft groan, he tilted his head and touched her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue. She parted for him, eager for his taste and the intimate tangle of their tongues. It was happening. Ian was finally going to make love to her!

  Excitement and desire spiraled through her. She responded to his kiss with dizzying enthusiasm. His taste spread across her tongue and his scent filled her nose. She was surrounded by him and her core ached to be filled with him.

  His hand slipped under her t-shirt, skimming over the backs of her thighs then cupping her ass. He traced the crease between her cheeks with his fingertips, venturing ever nearer to her damp folds. She tore her mouth away with a strangled gasp as lights danced before her eyes. All he’d done was kiss her and already she was more excited than she’d ever been before.

  He wrapped both arms around her and swept her beneath him as he turned. She ended up on her back with Ian arched over her, kneeling between her thighs. Fear stabbed into her heart and she tensed as unwanted images intruded on her passion. Demanding hands and urgent mouths, not hurtful, just—mortifying. No! She was not going to think about that right now. This was Ian. He would never harm her or take advantage of her helplessness.

  As if to prove her point, his gaze searched hers and he slowly shook his head. “I guess we have our answer.” He moved to her side and lay down on his back then bent his arms and shoved his hands under his head. “You’re clearly not ready for this.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for.” He pulled her against his side and smoothed the hair back from her face. “If anything I should apologize for kissing you.”

  “I’ve wanted you to kiss me since I was thirteen.”

  He chuckled, his arm gently squeezing her shoulders. “Was it worth the wait?”

  Unwilling to feed his ego, she shrugged. “It was all right.”

  “Just all right?” He laughed. “I’ll have to try harder tomorrow.”

  Her heart leapt at his words. If he was willing to try again then maybe he hadn’t found her completely lacking. She rested her head on his chest and draped her arm across his lean middle, thrilled by how well they fit.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he whispered a few minutes later.

  She didn’t bother asking what he meant. They both knew something had caused her sudden change in temperature. “Not yet.”

  “All right, but you can tell me anything. Whatever happened in that place was not your fault. Do you believe that much at least?”

  Her throat tightened and her mouth dried out so she just nodded. The logical side of her brain understood what he was saying, but the memories still made her feel dirty. She didn’t know what it would take to rid her mind of the taint. Hopefully she could figure it out before the sparks that had ignited tonight burned out completely.

  * * * * *

  Roberto watched the apparition float across his bedroom, transfixed yet unafraid. Silvery hair streamed about her slim shoulders and framed a face so achingly beautiful it couldn’t be real. Her full lips parted in a welcoming smile and golden light sparkled within her powder-blue eyes. She skimmed her hands down her sides, drawing his attention to her supple body. With firm breasts, a trim waist and gently rounded hips, her form was as perfect as her face. The hair at the apex of her thighs matched the silver-blonde strands swirling around her torso and her long, toned legs would easily wrap around his hips as he buried himself deep inside her.

  Without a word she drew back the covers and crawled into bed beside him. The mattress dipped slightly as it adjusted to her weight and a chill raced down his spine. He’d had vivid dreams before, but this felt almost real.

  Her small, warm hand touched his shoulder then slid down his arm and grasped his wrist. He didn’t think to resist when she guided his hand to her breast, but again the realism of the sensations startled him. Her breast nestled in his hand and her pink nipple beaded against his palm.

  She slid her hand across his chest then along his abdomen until she reached the waistband of his boxers. With a mischievous smile, she snapped the elastic and arched her brows with obvious expectation. He raised his hips and inched the garment down. As soon as the material cleared his ass, she yanked them off and tossed them to the floor.

  His cock had stirred in response to her nudity, but she didn’t seem satisfied with his erection. Her fingers curved around his shaft then she moved her hand from root to tip with slow, firm strokes.

  Why did this feel so real? Her image was incredibly detailed and he could feel the snug circle of her fingers as if she knelt beside him. Even her scent became more distinct with each deep breath. He started to reach for her wrist, but she blocked his hand and shook her head. Bending closer to his body, she guided his cock to her mouth and swirled her tongue around the sensitive tip. He groaned, arching toward her.

  Lust poured into his mind then spread outward with each pump of her hand, each swirl of her nimble tongue. Her lips closed around him and he shivered. Hot and moist, her mouth felt incredible as she slid him in and out. Her head bobbed and her lips slid up and down as pressure built with shocking speed. He closed his eyes and surrendered to the pleasure, no longer caring how the sensations were achieved.

  Suddenly her mouth abandoned him. His eyes flew open as he frantically reached for her head. She moved with amazing speed, crawling on top of him and straddling his hips. He held perfectly still, half afraid of what she’d do next.

  She looked into his eyes as she reached down and brought his cock to her entrance. Her slit parted, surrounding him with moisture and heat. Another moan was torn from his throat as she slowly lowered her hips, impaling herself on his aching shaft.

  “Is this…a dream?” The words sl
ipped past his lips even as his balls burned, the sensation too acute to be imagined. She laughed, the sound cutting through the sexual haze obscuring his mind. Realization spread, pinging each of his senses in turn until he was forced to face the truth. This was no dream. He was being seduced by some sort of specter.

  “Humans are so easy to deceive. They always see what they want to see.” She raked his chest with her nails and tossed her head, causing her hair to flow like moonbeams. He bucked and twisted as the fire spread across his chest and sank into his abdomen. She squeezed with her knees, keeping her body centered over his captive cock. “You killed one of my servants today. Now you must answer for the crime.” She caught his hands and pinned his arms to the bed, entwining their fingers.

  Fear and anger burst within him, but his struggles only seemed to amuse her. He arched wildly and twisted his hips, desperately trying to unseat her. She laughed again and tossed her hair. “There is plenty of time for thrusting. Save your strength. There are a few things we must establish before we continue.”

  “Get off me!” She ignored him, so he asked, “How did you get in here?” Despite her diminutive size, he couldn’t free himself or dislodge her body. “Who are you? What are you?”

  “You know who I am. I see it in your eyes. And ‘what’ has been greatly debated.”

  “You’re Zophiel.” He shuddered, the name tasting rancid on his tongue. “Osric’s mistress.”

  Her inner muscles tightened hard enough to make him gasp. “His ambitions might have been misplaced, but he was basically harmless. His death was utterly unnecessary.”

  “I didn’t kill him. He killed himself to protect you. I wasn’t even there when he was captured.”

  She shrugged and glanced off into the distance. “Milliner is old. It would take too much effort to arouse him and I’ve always preferred men to women, so Tias isn’t an option.” Her gaze stabbed back into his. “That leaves you.”

  “What do you want with me?” He tried again to snatch his hands from her grasp, but her fingers wouldn’t budge.

  “I would think that much was obvious.” She raised her hips then slammed them downward, causing them both to gasp. “You will feed me whenever I hunger and obey without question.” She shifted her weight forward, so she could more easily move her hips.

  The steady slide of her snug passage drove his lust higher and scattered his thoughts. Feed her? Somehow he didn’t think she meant conventional food. Her hips rocked with a steady rolling motion, drawing her nearly off him before she took him deep again.

  He fought against the pleasure, refusing to surrender to the lust building with each thrust. Something monumental would happen when he came. He could sense the looming change, even if he couldn’t explain what the change would entail.

  “Come on. Don’t fight it.” She pushed away from his chest, breasts bouncing as the motion became more vertical.

  She encased him like cream-soaked velvet, massaging his entire length with each leisurely stroke. It felt so damn good. How could he fight something that felt this amazing? His balls drew up tight, preparing to expel his seed. He gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side, tuning out the beauty of her naked body and flushed face.

  “You can’t fight me forever, Roberto.” Her nails dug into his shoulders as she shifted slightly over him. “Maybe you like it wild.” She tossed back her hair and arched her back, moving twice as fast as she had before.

  He cried out in desperation as the quick shuttle of her hips flung the pleasure skyward. His control snapped and he came hard, his cock twitching deep inside her. His balls emptied and his muscles contracted then relaxed, but the pleasure didn’t end. His skin tingled, his ears rang and lights danced before his eyes.

  She chanted softly in a language he didn’t understand and her inner muscles rhythmically squeezed. To his utter horror his cock began to harden again. He recognized the pressure but couldn’t understand how she was doing it. He’d always been embarrassed by how long it took his passion to recharge.

  “Accept my sacrifice, Father.” Something warm and sticky dripped onto his lips and he automatically licked at the substance. The metallic taste of blood spread across his tongue and he gagged. He tried to escape the disgusting drops, but she grasped his hair with one hand and forced her wrist between his teeth. Blood flowed into his mouth and no matter how hard he bit down she kept her wrist firmly lodged between his teeth.

  Her foreign chant changed, the words different yet still unfamiliar. She finally removed her wrist from his mouth, but his relief was short-lived. She grabbed his arm and pulled his wrist to her mouth. Her teeth jabbed into his wrist and her lips latched on with hungry insistency. Pain shot up his arm and he screamed while heat pulsed through his entire body. He could feel her spreading through him, burrowing deeper until his heartbeat took on the rhythm of hers.

  She drifted through his mind like smog, dense and cloying. Suffocating. Images flashed and flickered as she accessed memories and knowledge. She was searching for something. He could feel her ambition, her determination, yet her purpose remained unclear.

  Blinding lust seared away all other emotions. With a surge of unexplained strength, he rolled her beneath him and thrust into her with animalistic need. She met each of his forceful drives with a frantic lift of her pelvis as her hands clasped his ass and urged him on.

  Then she pushed deeper into his mind and a sharp sting made him cry out. He wasn’t sure what she’d done, but he could feel her flowing through the very center of his being. She gathered energy like a bee flitting from one flower to the next before she pulled back across their mental tether, taking his energy with her. He groaned as the steady withdrawal sapped the strength from his limbs, but somehow his hips kept up their determined thrusting.

  “That should be enough for now,” she whispered into his ear, and his body responded with an instantaneous climax. He drove into her and shuddered as he came. The last of his strength bled from his body and he collapsed on top of her. She easily flipped him over and resumed her pose straddling his hips. “You did well for a first time. My blood will give you more endurance from now on.”

  “What the hell are you?”

  She grinned. “You’re in the right general area.” Golden light had completely taken over her eyes and her features seemed to blur and undulate. He blinked, trying to bring her face back into focus, but his lids drooped and his body gradually numbed. “Don’t panic. It only slows the process and makes the transformation more painful.” She separated their bodies and crawled off the bed. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

  For one blissful moment he felt nothing and then pain exploded in every cell of his body. He tried to move, to jerk away from the torturous sensations shooting up his arms and down his legs. His body wouldn’t move, not even his vocal cords responded to his need to cry out. He lay perfectly still—though his body felt as if it was tearing itself apart—and his mind echoed with silent screams.

  Chapter Five

  Erin angled the manuscript to better catch the light as she read the passage for the third time. Energy hummed around her and flowed through her, silent yet tangible. The vault was her refuge from the world, an oasis where she relaxed and unraveled conflicting thoughts and feelings. The small armored room was part of the underground warren that branched out from beneath the big cat sanctuary. The sanctuary itself was part research facility, part disguise designed to conceal the Therian rebels’ base of operations.

  Artifacts and treasures carefully collected down through the centuries lined the floor-to-ceiling shelves. It was the residual energy pulsing from the artifacts that soothed Erin and allowed her to concentrate. As Historian, it was Erin’s responsibility to record current events without allowing her personal feelings to taint the information. But recent developments had tested her objectivity and forced her to step back and examine her choices. The Historian was to observe and record, never interfere, yet she had become a driving force behind the rebellion. It was d
amn hard to remain neutral and objective when one’s children were directly involved.

  A soft knock drew Erin’s attention to the open doorway and she found Ava standing there. The lovely blonde smiled though she seemed hesitant to enter Erin’s private domain. “Kyle said you’d be down here. Do you mind if I intrude?”

  Pivoting on her stool, Erin motioned Ava closer. “You could never be intrusive. You’re much too polite.”

  Ava’s smile finally reached her eyes, making the blue sparkle. “Tell that to your son. Kyle considers me many things, but never ‘too polite’.”

  “Kyle loves every aspect of your personality. He would never be content with a passive female.” She pulled out the stool beside her and waited until Ava sat. “It’s dreadfully late. Why aren’t you in bed?”

  “Kyle’s still working with Eli to figure out where Ian took Devon. They’re both too stubborn to admit defeat.”

  Eli was a brilliant programmer and the rebel compound’s head of security. He would easily find an electronic trail if Ian was foolish enough to leave one. Unfortunately for Eli, Ian would never be so careless. The wily raptor knew what it took to disappear.

  “I know where they are.” Erin waved away the concern. “That’s not the problem.”

  Ava’s brow furrowed and she glanced toward the door. “Are you sure? Have you told Kyle?”

  “I’m not speaking to my son at the moment, so let them spin their wheels.”

  Silence stretched on for a moment as Ava dealt with her obvious confusion. “Why are you angry with Kyle?”

  Erin closed the manuscript and pushed it aside then centered her laptop in front of her and turned it on. “I was led to believe that Devon took off after a pointless argument with Kyle. According to him she was acting out because of her grief over losing her father.”